Hey everyone,

I hope this doesn't gross anyone out, I just figure we're all honest here right? :P

Ever since I was a child, I have always had a problem with bowel movements.

I remember being little and sitting on the toilet while my mother forced me to chug water saying "It'll push everything down". Not quite. lol

So needless to say, I am lucky if I have bowel movements once a week.
I have tried everything, from laxatives, to stool softeners, to high fiber diets, to fiber supplements. I drink a lot of water already, (between 3 and 4 liters a day). I eat red meat only once a week, and I cut out sweets almost completely.

My stomach is bloated. BLOATED. And it hurts because I feel like I have to go to the bathroom, and when I try and go, nothing.

I went to see a doctor and he suggested I do colonic hydrotherapy.
He said it would allow my body to start fresh. He blames the constipation on 24 years of bad eating habits and said that yes, eating healthy for the last 6 months is a start to a good life and good health, but he said that the colonic hydrotherapy would help undo the bad I have done in 24 years.

He referred me to a clinic and I took an appointment for tomorrow.
I'm nervous, and excited at the same time.

I am wondering if any of you have ever had one and if it helped. I am aware that there are risks with this procedure, and that I would need to have a clean diet afterwards to benefit entirely from this.

Any advise or suggestions or comments or critics would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance! xo

Although I am not in favor of colonic hydrotherapy for most people, I think you should do what your doctor has prescribed for you to do. It is not a bad procedure, and some people are helped by it.

Jay

Thank you so much for your reply, may I ask what you are not in favor of?
I am really not sure of the entire procedure and I know doctor's orders are usually best, but I also like to know what people's opinions are.

My mom said the colon is supposed to cleanse itself, that's why she's not crazy about it.

What kind of doctor is this? A medical doctor, or some sort of naturopath? Colonic hydrotherapy is widely considered to be a scam, and I am not aware that it is endorsed by conventional medicine. If you are currently badly constipated, there are various short-term measures a doctor or district nurse can take.

Constipation is a common problem amongst dieters, especially amongst low-carbers or people on a very low-fat diet. How much fruit and veg are you getting? How much fat are you getting? Is your first response to constipation to change your diet, or to try supplements/meds? Have you tried whole linseeds, taken in appropriate quantities and followed immediately by two glasses of water? What about magnesium supplements? Abdominal and lower back massage?

Thank you so much for your reply. At first I would run to the pharmacy and pick up anything I could possibly grab from the counters, but when realizing that my body created a dependence to those, I stopped.

I then went to see a dietitian who suggested I take whole linseeds, which I did. Took metamucil, nothing. I have had abdominal massages, as much as those felt great, did not help the constipation. I eat mainly fruits and vegetables all day, but I do have a very low-fat and low-carb diet, therefore I am not really surprised, but mostly annoyed with the constipation.

I do have to specify that I often feel nauseated after eating and gag as well. It's still not too late for me to cancel the appointment, if I see that I continue being worried by then, I'll just cancel it and think of other methods to relieve the constipation.

I do appreciate you taking the time to reply. Thanks!

Linseed - how much were you taking, and how long did you give it?

Abdominal massages - were you doing these every day?

If your diet is very low fat, could you explain why? I'm on a fairly low fat diet due to gallstones, for instance, but I'd be eating a bit more fat if it wasn't for that, it's a necessary component of a healthy diet. Do you have any objection to adding more healthy fats into your diet? It's a lot healthier than relying in someone to stick a hose in there!

Nausea and gagging after eating - what diagnosis do you have for this, and what treatments have you tried? Come to that, I'm guessing that you have a diagnosis of IBS-C?

I'm glad to hear you're past the stage of running to the pharmacy; I think it takes most people a while to realise that it's counter-productive.

Magnesium supplements do a good job for many people, they're worth a try, especially since you're actually taking in something that's good for you. I'm taking magnesium citrate for other reasons, and I've really had to fine-tune the dosage to avoid the opposite problem. Let's just say that I no longer worry about getting constipated on the occasions when I need to take codeine as a painkiller.

This is the thing, if this is a doctor -- a medical doctor -- that's recommending this, then you can always go and try it out and then decide if it's something you want to do again.

But you should also see a gastroenterologist (if the doctor above is not one) and explain your entire history and what you've done and how you've approached it and see what she/he says about your condition. I'm guessing you haven't gone to one yet, right?

The thing is, we're just a bunch of anonymous internet users who can't really tell you what will fix this, especially if it's a problem you've had all your life.

My recommendation is to see a GI doctor and see what they have to say about this.

That last line concerns me and you may be paraphrasing but did a real doctor actually say that? Have you seen a GI doc?

Colonics do have dangers associated with them and can actually destroy good bacteria. If someone was just looking for general advice on a similar situation, I'd say look at probiotics and cutting out dairy along with seeing a reputable doctor. Your body may not be digesting something well either because it doesn't have the enzymes or other reasons. A colonic is a medical procedure but it usually isn't the first thing done.

Rana I agree, I have managed to schedule an appt with my GI for this afternoon before I make any decisions about the hydrotherapy. I hope I can get some resolution.

Esofia I have been taking about half a cup for the last 2 months or so.
I have been diagnosed with IBS but this was 2 years ago and it may be my fault in not taking it as seriously as I should.

My diet is low in fats because I get stomach ulcers when I eat fatty foods, which is why I try and stay away from meats, except chicken basically.

I'll pass by the store and pick up some magnesium supplements and give those a shot, I'll make sure to ask the GI tomorrow though.

Those were his actual words....

Yeah a colonic isn't going to fix anything except an immediate stoppage. It could help clean out your system but what you ate a month ago even has little to do with the current state of your GI tract let alone beyon that.

Sounds good then, I'll talk to my GI tomorrow morning and see what he says to do. I don't want temporary relief, if this is the case of a colonic, then it's not worth my time or money for that matter.

I'd rather get to the root of the problem, if he suggests a specific diet, I'd rather try that than just settle for temporary relief.

Thanks so much everyone for shedding some light on this for me.

Make sure it is magnesium CITRATE, that is what your body more easily absorbs. I'm not sure if they'll have them in a regular store, you may have to check out a health food store.
I have tried the magnesium citrate pills, and they work, but this stuff in powder form is way more awesome!! http://www.iherb.com/Peter-Gillham-s...53-g/5124?at=0

I hope you can find some relief. I'm glad your'e getting a 2nd opinion about the procedure

I can't express enough the importance to see a GI doctor first.

I have had years of constipation problems. Horrible painful years of not being regular, seeing blood in my stool, and being to scared to go see a doctor about it. I finally did last Sept, and I was diagnosed with diverticulitis-which is small, bulging sacs or pouches of the inner lining of the intestine (diverticulosis) that become inflamed or infected. Most often, these pouches are in the large intestine (colon). Along with that, they removed 3 adenomatous polyup-which while are not cancerous, have the potential to become cancerous. Which is rare to have at my age ( 32 )

Just make sure with a GI doctor that there isn't something else that is causing this. Colonics scare the **** out of me. If I really want to clean myself out, I'll just do another colonoscopy prep-which I'm certain is a ton cheaper.

you seem to have similar problems like I had.
When I ate fatty stuff I would wake up at 2-3 in the morning, running to the toilet, having diarrhea and throwing up at the same time!!!
What I did was analysing what food is bad for me. I discovered that my digestive system does not tolerate animal fats (like sour cream, whipped cream etc), too much meat, products made of white four and with a lot of sugar.
I realised that I needed some fresh fruit for my breakfast and then, after about 30 minutes, I would have my cereal which contains of sunnybisk, 2 tablespoons lineseed and some almond. I eat my cereal rather with yoghurt than milk because I get a slight ache in my stomach if I have it with milk - nothing serious, but I feel better now. My diet mostly contains of whole foods (as much as possible ) and I really feel better now. I try to add as much veggies as possible to my lunch, because it makes my body digest it better (not to mention the fiber hehe ). Meat is not necessary to me, even though I do eat it. I try keeping my protein high with ricotta gnocchi instead of pasta and eating a lot of chickpeas, soya, tofu, spinatch .... This way I keep my protein high and chose foods that make me feel good. I also eat wholegrain pasta, because I love it and I have no problems with it.
In the evening, I try not to eat too much because I go more easily on the toilet in the morning if I go to sleep with an empty stomach and I sleep better, too. So I just grab some ricotta or yoghurt and eat it with some fruit (ricotta with apples is deicious to me), or perhaps some lunch leftovers.
I also do snacks, but I try to keep them within the boundaries of my diet - wholegrain bread with my homemade peanutbutter and homemade (unsweetened) jelly and a banana (not homemade, haha ) do just fine.
Also, I cheat, too but I have to say that ever since I stuck to my diet plan more seriously and started to feel better, having a normal metabolism and going to the toilet in a normal way (for me it was eiher diarrhea or nothing for days), I stopped enjoying my cheats as much as I used to.
For the technical part - it also helped me to sit on the toilet leaning a bit forward and having my knees a bit higher (being on toes)
Hope I helped, girl